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Background

As extreme heat intensifies and the effects of climate change accelerate, equitable access to sustainable cooling has moved from a development aspiration to a survival necessity. The Global Cooling Watch 2023 estimates that 1.2 billion people are already at high risk due to lack of access to cooling, threatening food security, public health, and productivity, especially in low-income and climate-vulnerable regions. These gaps persist even as solutions exist, because investments remain insufficient. According to the Cooler Finance report, capital flows into critical sectors like cold chains and passive cooling are only a small fraction of what is needed to protect vulnerable populations and unlock long-term socio-economic benefits.

The Chilling Prospects series, developed by Sustainable Energy for All under the Cooling for All initiative, is the first report to define and quantify the global cooling access challenge. Over the past decade, it has established itself as the authoritative benchmark for tracking where gaps remain, who is most at risk, and how countries are progressing.

Now in its sixth annual edition, Chilling Prospects 2025 continues this mission with updated analysis across 77 countries. It brings into sharper focus the intersecting risks faced by vulnerable populations, particularly women, the urban and rural poor, and communities exposed to extreme heat, and highlights the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration and scaled investment.

This Cool Talks event, held alongside the 2025 High-Level Political Forum, will launch Chilling Prospects 2025 and bring together leading voices from government, industry, civil society, and multilateral institutions to highlight the data, share actionable solutions, and accelerate progress on sustainable, inclusive, and life-saving cooling access.

Event Objectives

• Present key findings from Chilling Prospects 2025 to highlight the scale, urgency, and geographic distribution of global cooling access gaps.
• Frame cooling as a climate and development imperative, essential for health, food security, productivity, and equity in a rapidly warming world.
• Showcase scalable, inclusive solutions being deployed by governments, industry, and civil society to deliver sustainable cooling where it’s needed most.
• Catalyze high-level dialogue and cross-sector collaboration on closing the cooling gap through investment, policy, and innovation.